WHAT STABILIZER SHOULD I USE?
I get this question a lot and I see it being asked on many groups. If you are doing Free Standing Lace the answer is pretty easy – use water soluble. Designs with few stitches are also pretty easy – I always recommend a medium tear away. But the most difficult is what to use for the large designs with many stitches and you want ot be able to stitch it without it feeling like a steel plate when y ou’re done J
For several years I have been using a medium tear away sticky stabilizer. I got mine from World Weidner and was very pleased. But I noticed it seemed to be going down in quality ust about the time Rebecca asked me what to use on my large designs. I told her the kind and brand I used but she had very bad luck with it! And she is great to have documented to me how she found a perfect alternative. I’ve tried it and I agree with her totally! The follow are from emails and she gave me permission to pass them along. I apologize if things are repeated. J
> Hi, Suz:
>> I was hoping that you could help with this. I have stitched out hundreds of tee shirts for myself, friends and family. My secret formula has always been a layer of Vilene against the shirt and a layer of tear away wash away under that. It has been pretty foolproof until I get to more dense designs. Then, I usually float another layer of tear away wash away underneath and WSS on top.
>> When I was stitching out a tee shirt yesterday, I was panicking because the shirt was “bubbling up”. This has happened before and the shirt turned out okay. I’m just wondering if I used your recommended Weidner sticky stabilizer, that it might work better. I tried this first but it was impossible wrestling the shirt over it to hoop it. I use Mighty Hoops (LOVE THEM!!) and the hooping station. Is there such a thing as turning the shirt inside out, sticking on the sterilizer and then hooping?
I am so glad that I asked you about the stabilizer that you use. After getting my replacement for the World Wiedner stuff (two rolls that were too sticky and the adhesive was not coming off, even some after washing), I have the new rolls and it works so well. I like it better than the Madeira since it’s a little thicker and costs about ⅓.
This design has 68,842 stitches. I stuck one piece to the front inside of the shirt, hooped it and floated a thin piece of tear away under it.
Pretty pucker less…
Just wanted to tell you that changing to the World Weidner sticky stabilizer has been a game changer for me. It works so well, one layer for shirts even up to 52,000 stitches. On the downside, the adhesivep part has been sticking to the back of the shirt and it doesn’t even come off entirely after washing. I contacted the company and apparently, they had trouble with a batch that was too sticky. They are replacing the one partial and one unopened rolls that I have.
I also tried Madeira Cotton Fix based on something I read where Royal Present uses it. It works just as well and pulls off easier with NO residue.
Thank you so much for spending the time with me. I am so happy with this “new process”.
Hi, Suz:
My luck with the Weidner stuff has been abysmal. Even after they replaced the “bad” stuff, it’s pretty much the same – very hard to get off even after washing. I tried the HBI stuff on Amazon and it’s perfect. I liked the Madeira Cotton Fix stuff but it’s pricey and only 12”. HBI comes in 12 and 15 inches wide. It tears off beautifully.
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My luck with the Weidner stuff has been abysmal. Even after they replaced the “bad” stuff, it’s pretty much the same – very hard to get off even after washing. I tried the HBI stuff on Amazon and it’s perfect. I liked the Madeira Cotton Fix stuff but it’s pricey and only 12”. HBI comes in 12 and 15 inches wide. It tears off beautifully.
Yes, on the stabilizer. That Weidner stuff is horrible. The HBI product comes off so well – most of the bits come off in the laundry. I have embroidered up to 48,000 stitches with one piece. If it’s more than that, I just slip a 1.5 oz tear away wash away under it. Madeira Cotton Fix is even easier to tear off but it’s thinner and more expensive so I’ve been sticking with the HBI product. I have been using the HBI Sticky Wash Away (in addition to the tear away) for bows on the sides of embroidered shirts for my sister-in-law. I’ll attach a picture of one.
Just finished stitching this out with one layer of HBI sticky tear away. It was 53,080 stitches and I used one layer. If I were to make it on a tee shirt, I would have slipped a layer of thinner tear away wash away under it. I haven’t washed it yet and that always removes all the topper, excess stuff on the back and tames it down although it’s not puckered at all.